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Thumbnail-size images of copyrighted artworks are displayed under fair use, in accordance with guidelines recommended by the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for the Visual Arts, published by the College Art Association in February 2015.
Container
Royal Ivory-workers Guild (Igbesanmwan) (Nigerian)
Edo, Benin kingdom, Nigeria
19th century
Medium/Technique
Ivory
Dimensions
Length x width: 11.4 x 6.4 cm (4 1/2 x 2 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Robert Owen Lehman Collection
Accession NumberL-G 7.15.2012
CollectionsAfrica and Oceania
ClassificationsDecorative arts
ProvenanceMerton D. Simpson Gallery, New York; sold by Simpson to Robert Owen Lehman; 2012, promised gift of Robert Owen Lehman to the MFA.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Although the early provenance of this object is not recorded, it is likely that British forces looted it from the Royal Palace in Benin City in 1897. At that time troops occupied the city and seized approximately 4,000 works of art; these objects then made their way to European collectors, dealers, and museums. It is also possible that it left Benin City at a later date or by other means that have not been documented.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Although the early provenance of this object is not recorded, it is likely that British forces looted it from the Royal Palace in Benin City in 1897. At that time troops occupied the city and seized approximately 4,000 works of art; these objects then made their way to European collectors, dealers, and museums. It is also possible that it left Benin City at a later date or by other means that have not been documented.